I Ranger

I'm in the same boat as most all of you on this one as well. After what I had been hearing, I thought it was just a matter of time before he gave his verbal to the Gophers. Nice to see we got a real nice player for the future especially since it sounds as if Lucia was really after him. Now lets start adding to the 07 class.

Sorry for the correction but Harrington was a Bulldog not a Rodent.

Anybody think there is a chance that Fabian gets a shot on one of the first two lines. Say maybe a line of Toews-Duncan-Porter and Fabian-Oshie-Kozek. I have a feeling that Oshie line could put some real punishment on opposing D-men on the forecheck.

I agree with your first two lines with Forney and Porter being interchangeable but Toews, Duncan and Porter played together at the end of last year when Stafford was hurt and had a pretty good Final Five. I like the third line but I believe we will have to mix and match it better spreading out the experience and youth a little bit. I like Kaip, Fabian, Vandevelde. Then Zajac, Miller Watkins. Also Finley played with Radke last year and Jones played with Smaby.

I think this is a pretty big loss for us. We really need to start getting some 07 committments and Wilson was one of the top recruits for 07 and one of which I thought we had a great chance at landing. Hopefully, we can get some other big time recruits to join Trupp, Lapointe and Marto for 07.

Brad Malone is another kid that has been mentioned as being recruited by UND. He is the cousin of Ryan Malone who plays for Pittsburgh and who played for St. Cloud. He is from out east which makes it much more difficult for us to get him.

I'm on the road in about an hour. Driving most of the way and finding a cheap hotel tonight. Getting up and hitting Milwaukee tomorrow and will be at the bar for the Fighting Sioux party by about 10:30. Hope to meet some of you this weekend. Go Sioux!!!

Just got a room at the Hilton about a block away from the Bradley Center. Got it through a contact of mine. Just wondering if anyone else is staying here. Never met with anybody on this site and would like to meet up and through down a few. Can't wait til next week. Go Sioux!

I am different than all of you in the fact that I don't where any Sioux gear to home games. I only where Sioux gear on the road. All three times I wore anything Fighting Sioux to a home game this year they lost so I go with whatever I wore to work.

Highway 169 to highway 2 all the way to Grand Forks. Will be leaving at 1:00 just in time to have a few before we go watch the Goofs. Can't wait to get there. I have had butterflies ever since I found out we play Michigan.

I listened to the whole thing. It was a pretty good interview. Hak said all his focus is on Michigan and if they wake up Saturday morning still standing they will worry about whomever they will play that night. Also talked about the freshman and mentioned Stafford as being day-to-day so nothing really new on that front. The mention of Briggs was brought up becuase they asked Hak about Jordy and said that without a doubt the goaltending advantage in this region has to be UND's. Hak said that it is pretty hard to argue with how well Briggs has played over the last couple of months.

You forgot to list probably are most talented and biggest recruit coming next year in Michael Forney.

Heres a question I want to poise to you all. If Stafford does play this weekend which in all likelihood is going to happen who is in the stands Marvin or Miller? I personally would like to see Miller play as I think he has done an excellent job and has a much bigger upside than that of Marvin. But I believe Marvin will play due to his experience and the fact that he is a senior.

I think Carle has a better shot at winning the award now that he won Player of the Year in the WCHA over Potulny. Its pretty tough to win the Hobey when you didn't win the Player of the Year in your conference especially when that player who won it is also a finalist. For instance, two years ago when Junior Lessard and Zach Parise where in the Hobey hat trick. It's pretty tough for voters to vote for Parise over Lessard when he didn't win the Player of the Year in his own conference and Lessard did. Not saying that it can't happen though.

If he doesn't have much weight on his bones yet he may struggle considering he is already 20. There is a big difference from being 6-0, 170 at age 20 than 6-0, 170 at 18. That is why many players play juniors for instance Jake Marto to put meat on his bones and it seems as if Raymond may not be able to considering he played a few years of juniors and wasn't able to. Maybe UMD weight program will be better though.

I know everyone is saying that sweeping MSU may not help us in regards to the PWR and the NCAA's but I gotta say right now that CC has the best chance of missing the NCAA's. I don't know but does anyone have any idea what CC's PWR would look like if they lose there series to St. Clown.

I totally agree with this statement. UND's odds of winning the Final Five have to be much worse than that of Denver's or Wisconsin's simply because of the fact that some are predicting UND not getting by MSU and if they do and barring upsets they would have to play in the play-in game and then Minny on Friday night.

TRF beat Warroad last night in 4 OT's. Forney scored the game winner.

That be great if all this happens but a #3 seed after all that. If the Sioux make it to the Final Five Championship game there is no way they are a #3 seed. That would definitely make them a #2 seed.

I gotta think that we weren't recruiting Brad Thiesen to heavily because he verballed to Northeastern. I am guessing we offered him 07 and he didn't want to wait but on the flip side at least he will see plenty of shots come his way. Hopefully we will be able to find another goalie out there possibly Kangas but it sounds as if he waits until 07 it will only be for the Gophers.

I watch almost all of Minny's games and to say that Kessel is ALWAYS ON THE PK is a bit of an overstatement. I rarely see him out there killing penalties and he definitely wouldn't be considered one of the top four forward penalty killers on the Goofs so I am a little confused at where you come up with the ALWAYS ON THE PK. I do agree that his defensive game isn't as big of a weakness as Vanek's was but I don't buy your argument that he always kills penalties.

From what I hear, it would be tough to get him because we need a goalie for 07 not 06 and he wants to play somewhere next year.

Does anybody have anything new on the Lamoureux situation? Is he waiting until after the season to see what kind of offer he gets from the major junior team? I think it would help if Hak and the boys knew if he was going to be on board in 2007 or not. Also, it sounds like Lapointe is a good player and after a year in the USHL he should be a good one. From what I hear Berry stays in touch with him and talks with him quite a bit so I am hoping he is the next D to commit. He sounds like a very similar player to Marto and the year in the USHL should help put a little meat on his bones.

I just did the "what-if" calculations for the rest of the year and I found that if the Sioux manage to get hot and finish 10-2 they have a shot at finishing tied for second with Minny but would be third due to the tiebreaker. This is of course calculations I put together really quick and has the Sioux sweeping at home the rest of the way and splitting at CC and Denver. Hopefully it happens starting with Mankato this weekend. One Game at a time.